The seizure of power by Captain Ibrahim Traoré in Burkina Faso on September 30th brings to five the number of successful coups d’état that have taken place in West Africa in the last two years. One of the main reasons for these coups has been the failure of the fight against terrorism in the Sahel region, which has led to growing insecurity. Another factor is the increasing role of Russia there. Justine Brabant reports.
There was a time when after a military coup d'état was announced one waited to hear the reactions of foreign heads of state and international organisations. But in recent years these coups have become so frequent in West Africa that one is more likely to be on the lookout for who has the best joke about it.
